Trio Airing Unsold Pilots, Labor Day Week
PB
NEVER-AIRED PILOTS
New York, July 8, 2003 --TR!O's "Brilliant, But Cancelled" nightly
strip, which launches on Labor Day, will feature never-aired pilots in
its first week including Fargo starring a "pre-Sopranos'" Edie Falco
and Beat Cops, it was announced by Lauren Zalaznick, President, TRIO.
"We've found a treasure trove of great television in the form of
pilots that never made it to series, but deserve to be seen. By airing
these pilots in the first week of our 'Brilliant, But Cancelled'
strip, we're giving them the second chance they deserve," said Ms.
Zalaznick.
Kicking off "Brilliant, But Cancelled" week is the 90-minute World of
Wonder documentary Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season (previously
announced) which examines the pitch process - from idea to show order
- and programs that should have, could have and would have, but never
did, make it to air. Comments from producers, writers and stars caught
up in the trenches of pilot season, plus clips from many of these
pilots will be featured in the documentary.
Fargo, based on the hit 1996 film by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring
a pre-Carmela Soprano Edie Falco, is among the pilots airing during
the week of September 1. Developed by Bruce Paltrow (The White Shadow)
and Robert Palm and directed by actress Kathy Bates, the one-hour
program features quirky characters in a small Midwestern town and
spotlights the investigative prowess of the very pregnant police chief
Marge Gunderson.
Also airing within the "Brilliant, But Cancelled" pilots week is Beat
Cops. Filmed in a cinema-verite style and without a laugh-track, this
half-hour comedy stars Sam Sedar and Jon Benjamin as two clueless New
York City patrolmen who are oblivious to the volatile citizens around
them. Sedar co-wrote the pilot with Charles Fisher.
TR!O's pilots week also features Savage, the 1973 Steven
Spielberg-directed program starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain
(real-life husband and wife) as an investigative journalist and
producer who work for a television news magazine show. The 90-minute
pilot guest stars Dabney Coleman and Will Geer.
Additional pilots will be announced shortly.
The new 8:00 p.m., ET/PT "Brilliant, But Cancelled" strip rounds out
TR!O's primetime programming block beginning Monday, September 1.
(TR!O's Sessions At West 54th series, which is currently in the 8:00
p.m., ET/PT timeslot, will move to 7:00 p.m., ET/PT.) At 9:00 p.m.,
ET/PT TR!O will continue to air its 9 Sharp documentary block, which
presents world and U.S. premiere films (ex. Cinemania; Farang Ba and
Secret Rulers of the World) and, the ever popular Late Night with
David Letterman episodes will continue at 10:00 p.m., ET/ PT.
TR!Ois an entertainment cable television channel reflecting pop
culture TV:film, music, fashion, television and stage in its
programming. TR!O is available to over 18 million households via
digital cable and satellite services. For more information about TR!O,
visit www.triotv.com or call 1-877-GET-TRIO.
Milhouse Van Houten
of them all.
Matt Ackeret
These are just reruns of the ones that originally aired on PBS, right?
(Strangely, there's a new PBS music show, the first 2 with Tom Petty & the
Heartbreakers..)
PB
NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PILOTS:
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, FARGO, DINER, SAVAGE PILOTS FEATURE
George Clooney, Edie Falco, Kiefer Sutherland, James Spader, And Early
Work Of Steven Spielberg
Friends' Paul Rudd Narrates Original Doc Brilliant, But Cancelled:
Pilot Season
New York, July 29, 2003 -- Rare and never-seen-before pilots and the
world premiere of Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season launch TRIO's
Brilliant, But Cancelled strip beginning September 8, it was announced
by Lauren Zalaznick, President, TR!O.
Paul Rudd (Friends) has signed on to narrate TR!O's original
documentary Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season, which premieres on
Monday, September 1. The documentary kicks off a week of rare and
never-before-seen pilots including L.A. Confidential, Fargo, Diner and
Savage that lead into the channel's new Brilliant, But Cancelled 8:00
p.m. nightly strip beginning September 8.
TR!O's original documentary Brilliant, But Cancelled: Pilot Season,
co-produced with World of Wonder, examines the pitch process - from
idea to show order – and programs that should have, could have and
would have, but never did, make it to air. The documentary showcases
previously un-aired clips from pilots that have never seen the light
of day. The full story behind these landmark pilots comes from
producers, writers and stars caught
up in the trenches of pilot season including Adam West (star,
Lookwell); Conan O'Brien (creator, Lookwell), Warren Littlefield
(former NBC Entertainment President); Darren Star (creator, Sex and
the City); Marshall Herskovitz (creator, thirtysomething), Tom Fontana
(creator, Oz) and Bernie Brillstein (producer, Just Shoot Me). The
original documentary premieres on Monday, September 1 at 9:00
p.m.-10:00 p.m., ET/PT.
In succeeding weeks, TR!O will present premiere acclaimed series
including Bakersfield P.D. plus returning favorite Brilliant, But
Cancelled series Ernie Kovacs, East Side/West Side, The PJs, God, The
Devil and Bob and The Gun.
Following are details on the un-aired pilots and their primetime
premiere dates:
BEAT COPS (2002): Filmed in a cinema-vérité style and without a laugh
track, this low-budget half-hour comedy stars Sam Seder and Jon
Benjamin as two NYPD desk cops sent out on the holiday beat. The two
clueless policemen are oblivious to the city and the volatile citizens
around them. Seder co-wrote the pilot with Charles Fisher. The pilot's
world premiere is on Monday, September 1 at 8:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m.,
ET/PT.
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (2000): Starring Kiefer Sutherland as embattled
police detective Jack Vincennes, this dramatic pilot is based on the
critically acclaimed film of the same name and follows the glamour and
seediness of 1950's Los Angeles. Eric Roberts is also featured. The
pilot's cable premiere is on Monday, September 1 at 10:00 p.m.–11:00
p.m., ET/PT.
FARGO (1997): Based on the 1996 Academy Award winning film by Joel and
Ethan Coen and starring pre-Sopranos Edie Falco, this pilot brings the
very pregnant chief of police, Marge Gunderson, to the small screen.
Developed by Bruce Paltrow and Robert Palm, and directed by Kathy
Bates, the series features the quirky characters of a small Midwestern
town and the
investigative prowess of Chief Gunderson. The pilot's world premiere
is on Tuesday, September 2 at 9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., ET/PT.
DEAR DIARY (1996): A sort of love letter to New York City, the pilot
chronicles a day in the life of a married New Yorker, played by Bebe
Neuwirth. A reworked version of the show won the Oscar for best short
film. The pilot's U.S. premiere is on Tuesday, September 2 at 10:00
p.m.–10:30 p.m., ET/PT.
SICK IN THE HEAD (1999): In this screwball comedy, a newbie shrink
gets a suicide case as one of his first patients. Starring Kevin
Corrigan, Andrea Martin, David Krumholtz as a new psychiatrist and Amy
Poehler as his patient. The pilot's world premiere is on Tuesday,
September 2 at 10:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m., ET/PT.
REWRITE FOR MURDER (1991): Pam Dawber stars as a prim female mystery
writer who clashes with ex-con George Clooney both on and off screen
when they are forced together to help revitalize her television show.
The pilot's world premiere is on Wednesday, September 3 at 10:00
p.m.–11:00 p.m., ET/PT.
SAVAGE (1973): Steven Spielberg directs this pilot about a television
news magazine show. Starring Martin Landau and Barbara Bain (real-life
husband and wife) as an investigative journalist and a television
producer for the politically charged television show. The pilot also
guest stars Dabney Coleman and Will Geer. The pilot's cable premiere
is on Thursday, September 4 at 9:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m., ET/PT.
DINER (1983): Based on Barry Levinson's 1982 hit movie set in 1960
Baltimore, the pilot focuses on 5 men who are making an awkward
transition into adulthood and who gather nightly at the local diner to
hash out problems and grapple with responsibilities. Starring James
Spader, Michael Madsen, Paul Reiser, and Michael Binder. The pilot's
world premiere is on Friday, September 5 at 9:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m.,
ET/PT.
BLACK BART (1975): Based on Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, Louis
Gossett, Jr. and Steve Landesberg star in this pilot that chronicles
the adventures of a black sheriff and his quick-draw deputy working in
a small, bigoted Arizona town in the Old West. The pilot's world
premiere is on Friday, September 5 at 9:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m., ET/PT.
New "Brilliant, But Cancelled" series on TR!O:
BAKERSFIELD P.D. (1993) When successful D.C. detective Paul Gigante
moves to the small town of Bakersfield, he joins the madcap adventures
of the quirky police squad. From a Captain that can't make any
decisions to a partner that is a little too obsessed with TV cop
shows, this squad of misfits and imbeciles provides plenty of sitcom
fodder. Ron Eldard, Giancarlo Esposito, Chris Mulkey and Brian Doyle
Murray star. The series makes its cable premiere on Monday, September
8, with a new episode airing each night during the week at 8:00 p.m.,
ET/PT.
TR!O's regularly scheduled Brilliant, But Cancelled strip begins
Monday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT leading the channel's
primetime programming block. (TR!O's Sessions At West 54th series,
which is currently in the 8:00 p.m., ET/PT timeslot, will move to 7:00
p.m., ET/PT.) At 9:00 p.m., ET/PT TR!O will continue to air its 9
Sharp documentary block, which presents world and U.S. film premieres
(e.g. Cinemania; Farang Ba and Secret Rulers of the World) and, the
Tony Calguire
>
>
> BAKERSFIELD P.D. (1993) When successful D.C. detective Paul Gigante
> moves to the small town of Bakersfield, he joins the madcap adventures
> of the quirky police squad.
This is a real travesty! Bakersfield P.D. is actually a reworked
version of the show that was REALLY brilliant but cancelled... a show
called ARRESTING BEHAVIOR.
If Trio really wants to show how cool they are, they should show
Arresting Behavior and skip over the Bakersfield crap.